To Disclose or Not? Introducing A Disability While Job Searching

Nearly 1 in 4 people in this country have a disability, yet not all are visible. In fact, 90 percent of all disabilities are considered “invisible” as they are not obvious to others without purposeful disclosure. For the 61 million Americans with disabilities, the first thing to consider is revealing whether you have a disability or not.

“Disclosing a disability to any employer enables a person to live one’s life authentically and be able to bring one’s whole self to work,” said Kathy Flaherty, executive director of the Connecticut Legal Rights Project told the New York Times. “Hiding a disability takes emotional energy that could be better spent elsewhere, like doing one’s job.”

“Those who are already employed may be afraid of opening themselves up to discrimination,” said Claire Odom, the senior program member of the Workplace Initiative. “On the other hand, some people don’t want to be seen for their disability, which they may consider to be a minor part of their life, so they don’t disclose.”

In a Center for Talent Innovation’s 2017 study of white-collar college-educated employees, 30 percent had a disability. Out of that, only 3.2 percent were self-identified to their employer as having a disability. In the study, 62 percent of the people had an invisible disability. The basic thought was their co-workers didn’t know unless they were told.

“That’s why you have to make sure you have programs in place that help all your employees physically, emotionally, and mentally,” said Alan Hubbard, NTI@Home's Chief Operation Officer. “This is a benefit for everyone. You want to make sure everyone is comfortable in their work environment.”

“We don’t ask people we hire about their disabilities at NTI,” Hubbard continued. “With our nonprofit organization, we make sure we have a strong support system in place for all of our employees. That’s just a good business practice.”

A 2018 study by Accenture backs up Hubbard’s policy. Companies whose hiring process and work environment support Americans with disabilities see a higher revenue of 28 percent, double their net income, and their profit margins are 30 percent higher

“If you are a company that isn’t doing this, you should change your policy right away,” said Hubbard. “While you may be costing your company revenue, you are also missing out on great employees, and limiting your opportunity to build talent in your company.”

With individuals employed, the concerns are different, but the question is the same about disclosure.

If your employee wants to tell you and his or her co-workers about their disability, they should feel comfortable in doing so. That means making sure you have inclusion training in practice so your employees know how they should react. The 2017 study by the Center for Talent Innovation said people who reveal their disability are twice as likely to feel happier and content than people who don’t.

“People with disabilities, invisible or not, can perform their job at or above expectations if given a way to do it that meets their needs,” said Odom.

Hubbard also stresses the willingness to make accommodations for employees.

“Most of the time, this costs you almost nothing and it is very much worth it in the long run,” he said. “You are also looking at one-time costs most of the time, so the investment pays off with great employees. If you don’t do this, you are limiting your talent pool.”

This article is part of NTI@Home's #WorkforceWednesday series, celebrating 30 years of the ADA by showcasing employment opportunities available for the 1 in 4 Americans with disabilities.